Stewart Brand: Building a home for the Clock of the Long Now

http://www.ted.com Stewart Brand works on the Clock of the Long Now, a timepiece that counts down the next 10,000 years. It's a beautiful project that asks us to think about the far, far future. Here, he discusses a tricky side problem with the Clock: Where can we put it?

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Stewart
• Brand
• TED
• TEDtalks
• talks
• Architecture
• Art
• Design
• Future
• Technology

[jaredhutcheson]

I don't know why there are so many negative comments. So what if you think it's pointless, the people who would make the journey to see it would certainly disagree with you. It's not like it's wasting tax dollars or anything. The pyramids were folly, but do you wish that they were never built? I find the pyramids to be inspiring even if the original motive was an overgrown ego (and I don't think that is the reason for this project, I think Stewart Brand probably has a similar viewpoint).

[smkymcnugget420]

probably a monument to our technological existence..imperative becuase we clearly don't have much time left on our current course

[TheProlefeed1]

Phony environmentalist globalist charlatan Stewart Brand and fellow futurist Peter Schwartz, formerly of Royal Dutch Shell, through their "Global Business Network" and propaganda rag "Wired" magazine are now pushing GMO and geoengineering as "green", Agenda 21,filthy squatter cities, Chernobyl, all of these are great things according to this fake "environmental pragmatist". The irony of it all is the GMO and geoengineering that he's pushing will likely play a hand wiping us out in 10,000 years

[tcorp]

A future civilization will build a religion around it and the point will be lost (again?).

[tnus03]

Sounds like he's going out of his way to make future aliens worship a clock...pretty good joke i guess.

[tnus03]

I have a feeling id climb that mountain, trek through the mines, get to the end, exhausted but exhilarated, look up and think, "oh...its a clock."

[beardydave]

This is a very 20XX American talk. Experience the view from where the clock is! Hayoo!! THat is what we will all say for the next, what, 20years. If that. Even now, the novelty/fascination of Christ is lessening nowadays. A person will not, can not, last 10000 yrs. A civilization can! This clock is a novel idea for a novelty culture...

[JasonRainbows]

Wrong idea - hiding it. If a clock ticks in the wilderness and nobody is there to hear it, does it even matter? Put it on the moon if you're serious about it.

[CaptainChaos]

Good news people! I just traveled back from the year 12009, and it all worked out exactly to plan! It's just about to strike the year 10000, only of course now I'm here I won't get to hear it. Damn...

[westkan]

The hope is that the clock will get man to start thinking the long term about EVERYTHING, not just the environment. The speaker only mentioned the environment, in in environmental concerns in building a home for the clock & perhaps being able to purchases the ranches near the site of topic, so they could be added to the national park.

[westkan]

In the beginning of the program it was mention the purpose of the clock was described as to get man to start thinking in the long term. I felt he meant the folly is trying to get man thinking in the long term, not the construction of the clock, and a place to house it.